Finduilas
| Finduilas | |
|---|---|
| Noldo | |
 | |
| "Princess of Nargothrond" by Elena Kukanova | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | Faelivrin (S, epessë) |
| Location | Nargothrond |
| Language | Sindarin |
| Birth | Possibly F.A. 272[1][note 1] Beleriand |
| Death | F.A. 495[2] (aged 223) Crossings of Taeglin |
| Family | |
| House | House of Finarfin |
| Parentage | Orodreth (father) Unnamed Sindarin mother[3] |
| Siblings | Gil-galad |
| Spouse | Betrothed to Gwindor; never married Loved Túrin |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Female |
| Hair color | Golden |
| Gallery | Images of Finduilas |
Finduilas was a Noldorin princess of the First Age. She was the daughter of Orodreth, the ruler of Nargothrond, and the sister of Gil-galad.[3]
History[edit | edit source]
Finduilas lived in Nargothrond with her father and brother under the rule of Finrod Felagund. She was betrothed to Gwindor, who named her Faelivrin, which meant "Gleam of the Sun on the Pools of Ivrin".[4]
Her betrothed was captured in F.A. 472 during the Battle of Unnumbered Tears by Morgoth,[5] but he returned in 490 with a companion[6] who called himself Agarwaen, son of Úmarth ("Bloodstained, son of the Cursed"). Unknown to Finduilas, this was actually Túrin son of Húrin.
Despite her old feelings for Gwindor, who was now mutilated, Finduilas fell in love with noble Túrin who became an influential warrior of Nargothrond. Túrin failed to notice her feelings, she reminding him of Lalaith, the sister he lost in childhood. Gwindor realized that Finduilas had fallen in love with Túrin, and revealed his name to her in an attempt to discourage her pursuit.[4]
At the Sack of Nargothrond by Glaurung, Finduilas was captured. Gwindor was slain after ordering Túrin to protect Finduilas as only she could save him from his fate; however he was entranced by the dragon, and he could not hear Finduilas' cries as she was being dragged past him by the Orcs as a captive for Angband.[7]
Due to Glaurung's deceit, Túrin abandoned Finduilas and instead went to Hithlum in search for his kin. When the Orcs were waylaid by the Haladin of Brethil at the Crossings of Teiglin they killed all their captives, pinning Finduilas to a tree with a spear.
By this time, Túrin had regained his senses, and the Haladin buried her in a mound they called Haudh-en-Elleth ("Mound of the Elf-maiden").[8]
Etymology[edit | edit source]
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The name Finduilas is a Sindarin name. The first element of the name seems to be fîn ("hair"), but the etymology of the rest of her name is unclear.[9]
Other names[edit | edit source]
Finduilas was also called Faelivrin (meaning "Gleam of the Sun on the Pools of Ivrin" in Sindarin), from fael ("gleam of the sun") + the proper name Ivrin.[10]
GenealogyNB[edit | edit source]
Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]
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Notes
- ↑ The figure of F.A. 272 is the most recent date that Tolkien gave for Finduilas' year of birth in Beleriand. In the same complex of texts in which this figure appears, Tolkien later decided that Finduilas was the youngest of the Exiled Noldor (thus born in Aman) - however, years later (c. 1965), Tolkien decided to make Finduilas the sister of Gil-galad, born to Orodreth and an unnamed Sindarin lady: thus placing her birth in Beleriand once again, hence the adoption of the F.A. 272 date.
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Carl F. Hostetter (ed.), The Nature of Middle-earth, "Part One. Time and Ageing: X. Difficulties in Chronology", p. 72
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Three. The Wanderings of Húrin and Other Writings not forming part of the Quenta Silmarillion: I. The Wanderings of Húrin", entry 495, p. 256
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", The names of Finwë's descendants, The parentage of Gil-galad, p. 350
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "Túrin in Nargothrond"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "The Grey Annals": §227
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "The Grey Annals": §267
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "The Fall of Nargothrond"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "The Coming of Túrin into Brethil"
- ↑ Paul Strack, "S. Finduilas f.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 10 September 2023)
- ↑ Paul Strack, "S. Faelivrin f.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 10 September 2023)
